By Sonya Sorich – Managing Editor, Sacramento Business Journal

May 11, 2023

A Southern California-based chain is entering the area with an indoor playground that could open in Rancho Cordova later this year.

That chain, called Kids Empire, will fill 12,506 square feet within Mills Shopping Center in the Folsom Boulevard corridor of Rancho Cordova, according to online leasing materials. Local real estate investor Ethan Conrad bought the retail center for $28 million in 2021.

“These kids entertainment facilities are kind of a wildly popular use,” said Race Merritt, a senior vice president with Ethan Conrad Properties Inc., who represented the landlord in the lease for Kids Empire.

On its website, Kids Empire says its locations include elements such as climbing walls, play structures and a dance floor. The website lists locations in 16 states, including California, though no Sacramento-area sites are mentioned. Company representatives did not respond to a request for comment.

Merritt said the chain saw a void in the local trade area, and was drawn to Mills Shopping Center partially due to its other tenants, which include businesses such as McDonald’s, Planet Fitness and Starbucks.

This is Kids Empire’s first signed lease in the Sacramento area, according to Merritt, who said the business is growing quickly.

Kids Empire will be located at 10309 Folsom Blvd. in Rancho Cordova, a space previously occupied by a Salvation Army Thrift Store & Donation Center. The local site could open in November, Merritt said.

From arcades to indoor trampoline parks, a variety of entertainment-related tenants have filled big-box vacancies in recent years. Those businesses appeal to landlords because they offer experiences that can’t easily be disrupted by e-commerce.

Beyond the Kids Empire lease, Merritt said many types of businesses are already represented in Mills Shopping Center. However, he sees at least one remaining void. “We’re on the active hunt for a good pizza tenant,” he said.

Ulysses Laman, a senior associate with Ethan Conrad Properties, worked with Merritt on Kids Empire’s Rancho Cordova lease.